Table leg length equalizer



Sept. 29, 1936. ,5 BARKER I 2,055,715

TABLE LEG LENGTH EQUALIZER Filed Aug. 26, 1935 IN V EN TOR. CHA'ELES515415451? Patented Sept. 29, 1936 i e r 2,055,715

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,055,715 TABLE LEG LENGTH EQUALIZER CharlesEdward Barker, San Francisco, Calif.

Application August 26, 1935, Serial No. 38,003 6 Claims. (01. 45139) Myinvention relates to improvements in table clearly illustrate thepositionoi one of the set leg length equalizers, and it consists of thecomscrews 6. binations, constructions and arrangements here- The innershell 3 is urged away from the outer inafter described and claimed.shell I by m a of a p n h p n h 5 In tables such as those used inrestaurants it is i pp end i e hr an p in 8 n is practically impossibleto cause all of the legs of the t p 2 of t outer l, an th end i p t thetable to uniformly rest on the floor. One of as t 9 or anchoring the prinst rot tion. the legs will be shorter than the others, or the Th i nshell 3 h a pir y grooved portion floor will be uneven, and thus preventall of the III f r ivi he lower l p f he prin l0 legs from contactingwith the floor. If only three A kerf l is preVided at the bo o 4 and a sew 10 of the four legs engage with the floor the table driver y heplaced in this kel'f f o at n th will rock very easily. inner shell withrespect to the outer one. A ro- It i th object of th present inventionto tation of the inner shell will cause a greater or vide a table leglength equalizer which will auto- 5 fewer number of loops of the Spring1 o be ematicany accommodate itself to the Supporting ceived in thespiral groove H]. The result is a 15 surface, and thus prevent the tablefrom rocking. change in the tension of the Spring In th s In a tableprovided with four legs only two of Simple Way the Sprihg y b adjustedto accomthe devices need be used, and. these are placed modate VariousWeights of tables. i t tt f t adjacent1egs A bore or recess [2 isprovided in the bottom 0 The device is extremely simple in construction,table leg and e u r Shell is placed in and is durable and emcient forthe purpose this bore so that its bottom edge [4 will lie flush tended.I provide novel means for varying the with the bottom edge 0f the tableeg- The tension of the spring housed in the device, and shell I may besecured to the table leg in a y dein this Simple Way the device can beaccommosired manner such as by forming a friction fit d t t tables ofvarying t Wlth the wall Of the bore The inner shell 3 iS 25 otherobjects and advantages will appear in now rotattad, and will tenslon thespring I to the the following specification, and the novel feadeslredPomt; Thedevlce is now ready for tures of the device will beparticularly pointed h table In es on t Supporting surffeee out in theappended claims It will have two of its adlacent legs I3 provided Myinvention is illustrated in the accompanygg ggzgfi z gg g g i s gy g $31253; 30 132331? formmg a part of thls apphcatlon with the result thatthe bottoms 4 of the inner Figure 1 is a vertical section through thedevice Shells will engage with the floor and will support showing itoperatively applied in the bottom of the table in Such a manner as toprevent its a table leg or the like; rocking 35 F1 6 2 is a Section alon g the line of While I have shown only the preferred form of we and myinvention, it should be understood that vari- Figure 3 is a sideelevation of the two parts of 2;: 22 g i ggggg 5 $33 13? g the casingshown separated from each other. parting from i Spirit of the inventionIn carrying out my invention I provide an I claim. 40

outer shell or casing I that has a closed top 2. 1 A ta'bl e leg lengthequalizer comprising an fi i a 2 1 z gf outer shell designed to beplaced in the bottom of t Inner s e 15 S 1 a y i a a table leg, an innershell slidably and rotatably Celved the outer h The Inner Shell 3mounted in the outer shell, means for securing an annular groove 5 inits outer surface, and this the two shells together While permittingTota groove is relatively Wide. The outer shell cartional movement b tth t o and a longiturles J Screws 6 and these Screws are dinal movementwithin predetermined limits, and threaded into the annular groove 5after the two a Spring bearing against the ends of the two Shells havebeen assembled- The screws perm1t shells for holding the inner shell incontact with a rotation and a longitudinal movement of the supportingsurface inner shell 3 with respect to the outer shell I. 2 A table llength equauzer comprising an Fi u e 3 sh w a s elevation o the ut r sll outer shell designed to be placed in the bottom of t and is taken atright angles to the views shown a table leg, an inner shell slidably androtatably in Figure 1. The purpose of this is to more mounted in theouter shell, means for securing 55 the two shells together whilepermitting rotational movement between the two and alongitudinalmovement within predetermined limits. and a spring bearing against theends of the two shells for holding the inner shell in contact with asupporting surface, and means carried by the inner shell for varying thecompression of the spring by rotating the inner shell within the outershell.

3. A table leg length equalizer comprising an outer shell designed to beplaced in the bottom of a table leg, an inner shell slidably androtatably mounted in the outer shell, means for securing the two shellstogether while permitting rotational movement between the two and alongitudinal movement within predetermined limits, and a spring bearingagainst the ends of the two shells for holding the inner shell incontact with a supporting surface, the inner shell being'provided withgrooves for receiving a greater or less portion of the spring when theinner shell is rotated in one direction or the other, whereby thecompression of the spring may be varied.

4. A table leg length equalizer comprising an outer shell placed in thebottom of a table leg, an inner shell slidably mounted in the outershell and being provided with a relatively wide annular groove in itsouter surface, screws carried by the outer shell and being slidablyreceived in the groove, a spring anchored to the outer shell, the innershell having grooves for receiving the lower loops of the spring.

5. A table leg length equalizer comprising an outer shell placed in thebottom of a table leg, an inner shell slidably mounted in the out-ershell and being provided with a relatively Wide annular groove in itsouter surface, screws carried by the outer shell and being slidablyreceived in the groove, 2. spring anchored to the outer shell, the innershell having grooves for receiving the lower loops of the spring, thecompression of the spring being varied by rotating the inner shell forcausing the desired number of loops of the spring to be received in thegrooves.

6. The combination with an article of furniture supported by legs, ofleg equalizers applied to at least two of the legs that are disposedadjacent to one another, each equalizer including an active springactuated member yieldingly held in contact with the supporting surfaceat all times, whereby the effective lengths of the legs to which theequalizers are attached will at all times extend to the supportingsurface and will prevent the rocking of the furniture on the legs, andmeans for varying the force exerted by the spring to accommodate theequalizer to the weight of the device to which it is attached.

CHARLES EDWARD BARKER.

